Cat Chat Feline Forum

I have two cats, Puss and Fluff, that were rescued from the bins in Greece 4 years ago. We hand reared them and they have lived with us on our sail boat ever since. We are almost always around so they are used to pretty constant human company. They do not leave the boat apart from very rare occassions, maybe once or twice per year.

Next year we have to return to the UK for a month as my stepson is getting married. I have found a good, recommended cattery that is run by English people on the island of Crete and Puss and Fluff are booked in for a month - eek!

I am already having worries about leaving them in a caged environment with more sporadic human contact for that length of time. Does anyone have any experience of leaving their cat in a cattery for this long and can anyone offer any reassurance?

Unfortunately getting someone to catsit (which is what we do when we go to the UK for a week) is not at all practical in this situation.

Steph, welcome to CC and well done for taking on two hand rear kittens. Living on a boat - wow!

to be honest I think the cattery definitely will be the best place for your two. Are you able to visit the cattery to see it for yourself before you take your two? Also speak to the person who runs it and ask them to - if possible - spend a bit more time with them in their pens.

But they'll be fine - just make sure they have their own toys and bedding with them so they have something familiar. Sleep in a T-shirt for a few nights before dropping them off and leave that with them - again for scent. And then come over to the UK, enjoy your stepsons wedding and look forward to when it's time to go home and collect them again

x

Thanks Meriad, that's very reassuring. I'm sure they'll be fine but it's a bit daunting thinking of leaving them for that long.

We'll try to visit the cattery before dropping them off and have had lots of e-mail contact with the cattery owners already. They work with the local cat charities and only take private cats of owners who have been personally recommended. I figure that people who work for cat charities must love cats so it's probably the best place for them to be.